Home
by Eponine Faye
Summary: Swan Queen. AU - THERE IS NO CURSE. Regina is dating Graham, Henry is not fond of the relationship and wants to find his birth Mother. Emma knows that she is no mother and brings him home, but doesn't expect to find the woman who's been raising her son to be fucking HOT. Shit goes down. Romance. Humor. Angst. Rated M: course language and sexual content (in later chapters). R
1. Chapter 1

**AN:: I know I shouldn't start a new one, but I am.  
Request from tumblr from "athenades87," with a little bit of tweaking and my creative paint brush to make it into a whole story. This will be a chapter story, and I hope everyone likes it.  
You're encouraged to share it anywhere you please, as I will be doing, shamelessly promoting myself for my own need of having people read my "ok" stories and telling me that it's at least above average. But I expect only honesty, please :)  
**

**R&R, as always - you are loved.**

* * *

For some reason or another, the easy jazz station had its way of grating on the nerves that morning.

Emma would have liked to think of herself as one of those girls who likes all sorts of music, if not because she forced herself to be fairly knowledgeable because her source of income depended on it, then to make the passing statement of "I listen to everything" less of a lie to the nameless man or woman she'd hit on when she didn't want to feel the cold sting of empty sheets every now and again.

One of those nights happened to be the night prior. One of the only reasons Emma even had the radio going was to drown out the obnoxiously loud breathing of the stranger in her bed. She didn't mind him being there for the time being simply because she knew how pissed she'd be if someone woke her up too early after a night of heavy drinking, which had to have been the case last night due to the blonde's throbbing temples when she herself had woken up, and the perpetual state of confusion and loss her mind came to each time she tried to think of this guy's name.

And no, she wouldn't not look in his wallet - that would be too easy.

Yet, even in the presence of all of Emma's good manners, she needed the overwhelming silence of loneliness again. Having another body in the room with her while she tried to fill out paperwork was getting into her head space and pissing her off to a degree she didn't like to be in.

Besides, one o'clock was long enough for this guy to get his beauty sleep. He needed to get out.

Emma heated up coffee from her batch earlier in the day and set it down on the end table closest to where mystery man was sprawled out in her bed and pushed his clothes over toward him from their random places around the floor with her feet alone.

With as little disgust on her face as she could maintain it to, she gripped his shoulder with only her thumb and index finger, shaking him gently. And again, but her efforts even the third and fourth time did nothing but elicit a small grunt from him. Instead she went over to her radio and cranked up the volume until he sprang up in bed, eyes wide open and a bewildered look on his face.

"Hey, sunshine." She said, faking a grin.

The man cleared his throat and rubbed his eyes. "Hi?"

"Hi there." She nodded, leaning on the end of her desk across the room from him. "So, thank you for being such a cooperative house guest, but you gotta leave."

"What?"

"There's coffee on the night stand, your clothes are right there - nothing stolen, scout's honor," she did the sign of the cross over her torso, hoping he got the joke. "..and your cab will be here in about ten minutes."

The man just furrowed his eyebrows and scratched his head with both hands. "Really?"

"Mm hmm."

"That's it?"

Emma looked around the room. "What... Do you want creamer?"

"Do I even get your number?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't plan on seeing you again."

The man looked completely perplexed, so Emma laughed and took a small amount of pity on him.

"Listen, I don't make many connections - especially not with people I sleep with, and I haven't had a repeat performance in about six years. I don't believe in relationships, and I don't want one. So, I'm sure you did your job, but that's about it. And I'm afraid if you try to come and see me again, or call me obsessively, or do something 'cute' like send me flowers or chocolates or any of that shit, I will personally hunt you down and hurt you. You won't know how I'll hurt you, and I don't either yet... but I can be very creative. Trust me." She winked.

With the same shocked look on his face, he just nodded. "I think I may have just fallen in love with you."

Emma let out a small, humorless laugh. "Eight minutes, buddy."

* * *

Another night, another scum bag.

The blonde let the thought sink in for a moment, smirking to herself and feeling as though that applied even when she wasn't on the job. Though as it sunk even more, she didn't know if that was something to laugh over...

But there was no time to think about that. She had to go take down some asshole who let his grandmother bail him out and skipped town. Emma put up the other half of the bail and met her... she didn't understand how anyone could wrong someone who was so sweet and who loved them so much.

And as the ache struck her stomach thinking of family she shook the thought from her mind.

"Hi... are you Jeremy?" She shook his hand, putting on her best smile.

* * *

_"There goes the fear again... there goes your fear.. " _Emma sang to herself unlocking her door, and juggling boxes in her other hand.

The guy turned out to be easier to take down than she thought - he thought his grand mother was sweet, but this dude was a pansy if she'd ever seen one. She didn't even have to fight him, she just talked about his grandma putting up money in mostly fives, tens, and twenties, and he started crying like a bitch. All Emma had to do was tell him he was pathetic and a coward and he put his hands out for her to cuff himself. The thought almost made her laugh... almost.

She kicked her door shut, not a second afterward kicking off her heels. She opened her personal cupcake and stuck the candle in. Her small tub of ice cream in the freezer before coming back and lighting the candle. She leaned in close, searching the flame for some kind of higher significance to her life than she saw herself.

"Another banner year..." She said to only the air around her, wishing she had the courage to have friends to wish her a happy birthday. But friends meant feelings, and sharing things. Emma didn't even think she had anything to share, really. What? Her life of one-night-stands and filling out paperwork on people who were living lives more fulfilling than her own _and_ they were still assholes. And the anxiety of losing the people she may become close with if she could even let herself open up to anyone. All of it wrapped itself up and made a pit in her stomach she would never admit was there, to herself or anyone else. But even more secretly, she wished didn't have to be alone...

Not a moment after the she blew out her candle, the door bell rang.

"...the fuck?"

She kicked her heels out of the way and opened the door. "I thought I said..."

Well, it wasn't the guy from that morning unless there was some freaky Tom Hanks bullshit from "Big" going on...

Emma didn't even try to hide the confusion from her face. "'Sup." She grunted out.

"Are you Emma Swan?" The little boy asked with a gross hopeful look plastered all over him.

She squinted at him. "Who wants to know?"

* * *

Her son.

_Her son?_

This was not what she asked for. Not at all.

All she could do to keep herself together was keep looking at the road. Just focus on driving, and not the shaky nervousness that was consuming her mind. She felt something that lay right in the middle of confused as hell and angry that the system did her wrong yet again and somehow let this kid find her.

She didn't know how to look at him and know that he was connected to her, no matter how hard she had tried to have no one be more than a face in her repertoire.

"So what's your favorite color?" He asked, smiling like he didn't have a care in the world.

Emma shook her head. "Don't have one."

"That's impossible."

"It is not. I just told you-"

"You lied."

She looked over at him scrunching her face up. "Don't assume things."

"I'm not assuming. _Everyone_ has a favorite color."

Emma huffed. "Fine... white... I guess?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Why is that your favorite color?"

She shrugged. "It's simple? It goes with anything, and goes with itself better than anything else."

Henry nodded.

"So how'd you find me?"

"I'm super smart."

Emma rolled her eyes. "So, I guess your parents don't know you came to find me?"

"I don't have parents." Henry stated.

The blonde just glanced at him with a knowing look. That's the only way she would have given him up if he went to a permanent home right away - of course he had fucking parents.

"I just have a mom... and this guy who pretends to be my dad."

"At least you have people who want you."

Henry crossed his arms. "She doesn't want me. She works too much to barely even see me."

"She has to support you, doesn't she?" Emma said flatly.

"She doesn't care."

"Whatever kid."

They sat in silence for a moment, Emma not wanting to look at the little boy she gave up so long ago, and Henry not knowing how to start a conversation that didn't start with the favorite color question. All he wanted was to know who his real mother was, and maybe his father if he was lucky.

It was Emma who cleared her throat and broke the silence. "So Maine, yes... where in Maine are we going?"

"Please don't take me home yet..." He begged, just short of sticking out his lip.

"I have to take you home. I could be brought up on fucking kidnapping charges and shit."

"You owe me a dollar." He stuck out his hand.

"What?"

"Fifty cents for every swear."

Emma laughed. At least he had normalcy in his life, she thought. "There's change in the ash tray."

Henry smiled and looked for quarters.

"So where to?"

He looked at her as his shoulders dropped. "Really?"

"Really-really."

With a huff he turned back to the ash tray. "Storybrooke. You'll get off at the next exit."

"Storybrooke? Come on..."

"Hey, you don't get to pick where I live."

"No shit, but I didn't expect for you live in a Hallmark card."

"I'm taking fifty more cents."

"Go for it."

* * *

As Emma rolled down the streets of a very sleepy Storybrooke, she almost felt like she was entering a different world. After living in cities for as long as she could remember, this place seemed like a ghost town aside from a few lights in windows and the literally_ one_ dude walking his dog down the street. She stopped the car, waving to the guy. She hopped to whatever deity was listening that this town was as small as it looked.

"Hey!" She yelled out.

The man turned around and looked at her, a smile automatically coming to his face as he did a slight jog over to her. "Hello, there."

"Uhm.. hi." She said, almost a little creeped out by the cheer. "Do you know this kid?" She pointed in her car.

The man peered in the open driver's side door. He smiled at Emma before turning his attention back to the little boy. "Hi, Henry... what's going on?"

"This is my mom." Henry replied with a giant smile.

"So you do know him."

He nodded. "Henry comes to see me every week. Mostly about you actually..." The man pushed his glasses up nervously.

"You his shrink?"

"...Well, I'm a psychologist... an-"

"Great. Do you know where he lives?"

"Yuh-yeah.." He pointed in the direction the bug was already pointing. "The Mayor's house is the biggest on the street. It's just a few blocks from here, it should be on your left."

Emma let her shoulders drop and grimaced a little. "You're the fucking Mayor's kid?"

"...Aaaaand that's four bucks." She said gingerly, opening the ash tray again.

The blonde turned back to the stranger who looked nothing short of extremely uncomfortable. "Thanks." She nodded before climbing back into the bug.

"I'm Archie.." He said extending a hand just outside the open drivers window.

"Emma." She nodded, not taking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

They sped off in the direction that the man had pointed, and Emma still couldn't bring herself to ask any important questions to this kid. She didn't even know if she wanted to. Sure, she wondered what his childhood was like, what he did in his spare time, if he was the kid who played sports or the artsie kid, or the kid who was really nice and good at talking in front of the class. Instead her mouth formed a hard line, unable to inquire about any such thing.

"Are you going to tell me which one you live in, or are you going to make me guess?"

Henry turned in his seat toward the woman who gave birth to him. "Please don't make me go home."

She rolled her eyes. "Kid, your life is probably awesome if your mom's the Mayor."

"But I don't! I-"

"No." Emma glanced at him, before examining the houses to her left again. "You're going to listen to me and listen to me right now. I gave you up because I knew whoever got you could take a hell of a lot better care of you than I could. Obviously if this lady wanted you enough to _adopt_ you. She spends her money on you. She buys you nice clothes. She gives you a place to sleep, and feeds you, and trust me, that is a _lot_ more than so many kids who are alive just right now." She let out a long breath, feeling like she would explode if she kept going.

Finally there was a giant house, perfect shrubbery, and a fancy metal fence.

This was it.

"You live here, don't you?"

He twisted his face in desperation. "But she has a boyfriend... I don't like him."

"So you come and get me?" She arched an eyebrow. "What good did you think that would do?"

Henry offered a shrug.

"Get out of the car." The blonde said before getting out herself.

Henry slammed his door, walking over to Emma instead of toward the house. "Emma, you have to stay... please."

"Why? What do you want me to do? Chase out this dude you don't like?"

"Sure? Why not?"

She leveled a stare at the little boy as they approached the half-way point of the walk way. "Does this guy hurt you?" She asked.

"No."

"Does he hurt your mom?"

"No." Henry's shoulders slumped.

"Is he a bad guy?"

"Well..."

"Listen kid," She knelt down to get eye-level with the son she didn't know. "Your mom is a grown woman. She can make her own decisions, and I think you just don't like not having her to yourself. Just because she has someone else around doesn't mean she loves you any less. Maybe you should try to accept him, and you guys could make a cute little Hallmark card family, in this tiny ffff..freaking" She winked catching herself," po-dunk town? Who knows?"

"He thinks he's my dad... ordering me around..."

"Maybe your mom needed some help? Are you a rowdy kid?"

"No." He made a face as though he was offended.

"Well you kinda ran away to find me an-"

"She's not happy."

"Has she told you that, or are you assuming?" Emma dead-panned.

Henry let out a groan. "She's not the same since he's been around. I just want a mom who loves me and pays attention to things. Now she's just empty, and it's all since _he's_ been around."

"Kid..."

"_Henry!_"

Both of their heads whipped around at the door, as a brunette blur came hurtling out of the door and enveloped Henry in an embrace.

Emma shoved her hands in her pockets, not knowing how to react to the situation at hand.

The brunette pulled back, and that's when she caught her first glance at the woman who'd adopted the tiny thing she popped out ten years ago. The same woman who had currently put the blonde under what felt like cardiac arrest. Her mouth opened, feeling as though she was too perfect to begin to describe. She was like something out of a magazine, or out of a really high-class porno... or not even that - this lady was too classy for that. She was more like a model in a perfume commercial, one of the ones who didn't have to do anything but look into the camera slowly to sell every fucking bottle, no problem.

Emma. Was. Floored.

"Where have you been?" She asked the little boy, worry creasing her brow.

"I went and found my_ real_ mom!" He yelled before dashing through the door that was set ajar.

The brunette slowly turned her attention from where the little boy had been standing to the stranger in front of her.

Emma formed her mouth into what she hoped was a friendly smile, though her insides were doing funny things, so her facial expressions weren't exactly under control. "Hi..." she said, like a genius.

"You're Henry's birth mother?" The brunette questioned, giving the blonde a once-over, seemingly shocked at the news.

"I'm Emma..." She stuck out her hand weakly.

"Hon?" A voice called from the background.

The woman turned to a man standing in the doorway. She glanced back at Emma before wringing her hands together. "Graham, would you check on Henry, please?"

The man nodded, passing a shifty gaze toward Emma before retreating back into the house, closing the door behind him.

She turned back to face the blonde, who was still every bit enamored with this woman.

Giving a pitiful excuse for a smile, the brunette took the offered hand. "I'm sorry, your name was.."

"Emma.. Swan?" She nodded, not without having to gulp down the nerves that were attacking her.

She nodded. "I'm Regina Mills." Her eyes fraught with a different kind of nerves she tried to smile again. "I'm Henry's mother."

"Right."

"Yes... well,"

Regina couldn't be real, was all that Emma had going through her mind. She couldn't look away from the big chocolate eyes that were staring right back at her as they stayed like that for a few silent moments, while the blonde let her peripheral soak up the elegant body her dress did little to no justice for.

Then the brunette looked down to their hands, still in the strange joined position, awkwardly drifting up and down much slower than it began. Her mouth formed a hard line.

She motioned back to her home. "I would be rude if I didn't invite you in."

Emma shook her head. "No... that's-"

"I insist." She said, her face impossible to read. "How'd you like to have some of the best cider you've ever tasted?"

She took a large breath. "Okay."

* * *

Emma took her time taking in her surroundings. The house was prettier than anything she'd actually been in. It looked like one of those houses in the magazines that your read when you're waiting at the doctor. It hardly even looked like anyone lived in it. She was impressed - she wanted better for her kid, yeah... but this was going above and beyond. As far as adoption went, this kid hit the family lottery.

"This place is nice." Emma said, accepting the brandy glass from the brunette.

Regina nodded with that same almost-smile. "Thank you." She nodded before motioning to her study. "Shall we?" she offered.

Emma only nodded and followed her in before Regina shut the door quietly. There was something about her that made Emma feel like she was two inches tall and much less of a woman than she considered herself to be before. Maybe she was a woman of power... sure... that had to be it.

"So... Miss Swan, how exactly did Henry find you?" She asked, pacing around her desk.

Emma sat down on a very pretty sofa. "I'm not sure, actually. I asked him but he dodged the question pretty well..."

"You have no idea?"

"Nope." She shook her head. "I asked for a closed adoption. I was under the impression he couldn't find me even if he wanted to."

Regina took a spot on the couch opposite the blonde. "He's a clever boy."

"He says so too..."

There was an awkward silence that passed between the two - the elephant in the room looming over them like a dark cloud threatening to pour down on them at any moment.

Emma took a sip of her cider. "This is good?" She said, only trying to break the emptiness in the air.

"Thank you." Regina said, setting her own glass on the table. "I think we should face the matter at hand, no matter how difficult it may be for either one of us." She smiled in a way that made Emma want to giggle.

But she held back, nodding and putting the glass down. "Right. We should." She folded her hands in her lap, desperately trying to look as professional as Regina did, though it seemed to come far more easily to the brunette.

"I'm not heartless, however, I don't want to assume that you want the agreement to change now that you've seen Henry. By all matter of law he's still my son, and you are still not to have contact with him." She said, looking somewhere on the coffee table. "However, I'm more concerned for Henry's well being that I am about obeying matters of the state, so long as boundaries are not over-stepped. By that I mean, now that Henry knows who you are, for you to be ripped away from him would be rather traumatic, and I'm not prepared to willingly allow that sort of pain to enter into his life."

Emma gave a slight nod, feeling like this chick was way too good at looking good doing pretty much nothing.

"So." She took a breath, "I'd like you to stay in town for a day or two, while I talk to Henry's therapist and Henry, to find the best course of action so that Henry gets out of this situation, hopefully, unharmed, or with as little damage as possible."

"Yeah... That sounds perfectly healthy to me." She shrugged.

Regina's plastered-on smile faltered slightly.

At this, the blonde couldn't help but notice and took another swig of the drink she was offered. "Okay, I'll give you the real thing - I'm not a mom. I knew that when I got pregnant, and I know that now. I'm willing to go along with whatever you think is best for the kid, because - in a way - I kinda... gave him to you, ya know? I trusted someone else to raise him, and as far as I can tell, he's okay... he conned me out of like five bucks and got all the way to Brooklyn, so he has to be smart..."

"He did what?"

"Uhm... I swear a lot, so..."

"No, he got across state lines?" Her face twisted in horror. "He was alone and went all the way there..." her hand went over her mouth in shock.

"Well at least he's safe... like.. he's not in trouble _now?_ I guess we can be thankful for that, right?"

Regina shook her head. "No he's in trouble." Authority took over her voice. She looked up to the blonde and shook her head. "That's... anyway." She closed her eyes for a moment, composing herself again. "I just can't believe it. I'll talk to him later, but for now, I think we should say goodnight." She stood up abruptly, settling invisible wrinkles from her dress.

"Okay... sure..." She stood up as well, fidgeting awkwardly with her jacket.

Regina led them out and toward the door.

"There's an Inn just up the road. Grannies... it has a rather large sign I'm sure you won't miss." She avoided eye contact in opening the door.

Emma nodded. "Well.. thanks for the cider..." she said awkwardly, standing at the door and sure something was missing.

The brunette chanced a look into the blue eyes she hadn't dared to peek at since her arrival. "Thank you for bringing my son back to me." She said sincerely.

A short grunt of laughter escaped her. "No problem." She shoved her hands in her pockets and shuffled from foot to foot on the door step.

Regina smiled lightly. "I'll be in touch, Miss Swan."

"Okay..." Emma offered a small, nerdy wave and stepped away, still facing the door. "See ya.."

"Goodnight." Regina shut the door softly.

Emma turned around and headed for her bug, only looking back to glance up, seeing a little boy break his stare and move away from his curtain. She didn't know what she was getting herself into, but this felt different. This felt like she was in something she never intended to happen... though she didn't wholly regret it.

* * *

As the door shut, Regina slumped against it, closing her eyes.

What was that? This woman she should hate for intruding into her life, threatening her only role that was set in stone, the only role she really wanted, and yet, she wanted her to stay. Yes for Henry, but also to see what she was all about. She wasn't the quiet people of the town she'd known all of her life. She wasn't just another face to be forgotten.

The brunette didn't know weather to hate her or befriend the stranger, but she needed more time to find out why she was brought here. There was always a reason for cruel twists of fate, and if it was only to be in Henry's life, to give him some amount of closure that she herself could not give her son, then so be it... but Regina had the sneaking suspicion it was more than that.

"Regina?"

Graham came down the stairs, looking at her with his brow furrowed.

"How is he?" She asked, standing upright again.

"He'll be fine. He's very tired.. a little closed up, but he's not hurt in any way." He smiled, putting his hands on her hips with a familiarity they'd become accustomed to. "How are you?"

Regina shrugged. "I'm a little shaken up... but can you blame me?"

"He's fine..."

Graham embraced the woman he'd become so attached to, not knowing that his girlfriend wasn't just shaken up due to her son... but a certain blonde she simply did not know what to think of.

* * *

**AN:: Let us know what you think. Thank you for reading.  
Questions/concerns/requests heard in comments and pms - feel free.  
And as always, R&R please :) It is wholly appreciated.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:: The response to this has been wonderful - thank you guys from for supporting this story. I am forever taking requests and listening to your opinions.  
**

**Keep it comin'!  
And we hope you enjoy.**

* * *

_You can't breathe.  
_

_You don't have to breathe. It's not that important. It's not hurting anything. _

_Everything is peaceful. Eerily peaceful, but not unpleasant as many other things.. it's better than daytime television or the am radio stations you listen to pretending you have any sort of opinion on whatever they're talking about. _

_But it doesn't feel the way peace should. It's not right. Everything is grainy at the edges - nothing is certain. Anything that floats by your vision is only half-there. _

_There's light, though. You're looking right at it but it doesn't hurt your eyes like you think it should. _

_You try and call out "Hello?," but your voice is caught in your chest. your heart starts beating faster as your lungs burn - maybe they've been burning for a while, but you can't tell. They feel like they've been on fire for longer than you've noticed. Darkness sneaks up and around either side of you, pulling you away from the light. _

_No. _

_No, it's not pulling. _

_You're not going anywhere. You're still suspended in the same dull limbo you've been stuck in for what seems like a series of eternities. The darkness is moving. It's growing, moving higher and stealing away the warmth. It slithers around you, holding you in place as it slowly swallows up the last of the light while it makes you watch. _

_Everything begins to shake._

_You're frantic in reaching, trying to grasp on to anything but nothing's there. You want to cry but your mind is too busy trying to understand the sudden change. _

_There's a blaring repetitious roar that's sounding and shaking your entirety. It keeps going, and something touches you. _

_You turn to try and see what it is but you're met with only more emptiness in the cold, dark, thundering abyss. _

_Regina... Regina you..._

* * *

She woke with a start, immediately clamping her hand over her heaving chest, willing her heart to slow it's beating.

"Regina." Graham elbowed her, not hard enough to be rough, but enough to be a rude awakening. "Would you get the alarm?"

"Ye-" Her voice was hoarse and felt rough in her throat.

Instead of answering Regina rolled over out of his reach and hit the largest button on the alarm clock and closed her eyes again. She tried gulping down the taste in her mouth but it wouldn't remove itself that easily.

With a few more deep breaths she was able to push herself upright, swinging her feet off her side of the bed.

She frowned, thinking at least she slept through the rest of the night after she checked on Henry for the second time.

And like every morning there was the familiar pit in her stomach, one that sat there and held it's stubborn head high as it ate away at what she felt she was before. She still felt like herself, but a muffled, pinned version that was still - in essence - _her._ But it was only a tiny piece of the woman she felt she knew she could be. And the worst part of it was, she didn't understand where along the line she lost all of what she had worked so hard for started slipping away. One moment her son loved her, the man she carefully chose to involve herself with was enamored with her, and her career was peaceful and ran smoothly.

Now everything seemed dull.

Henry seemed to despise being around her, though nothing else seemed in her life seemed to change.

Maybe it was just her? Maybe age was starting to settle over her early and life was beginning to end?

Regina sat there until the alarm started screaming again before turning it off. She gave a large sigh and leaned over to Graham. "It's time to wake up." She said gently with a rehearsed kiss to the scruff on his face.

She grabbed her robe on the way out of the room and secured the tie walking down the hall to her sons room.

"Henry?" She knocked on the door, it consequently falling open the slightest bit.

There he laid with a comic book draped over his chest and his blankets only coming up to his knees.

She came in with a smile on her face, taking the comic away gently and smoothing messy hair back. "Henry... honey, how much sleep did you get?"

The little boy's eyes clamped shut almost as soon as he opened them. He coward away from the light from his window, pulling away from his mother's touch at the same time. "No mom!" he shook his head, grasping at covers.

Regina stopped his hands from pulling the spider man sheet up. "No, you have school - let's go." She rubbed his back as he turned away from her.

"I don't care. I'm not going." He said, grumpily.

"Of course you are, Henry." Her tone roughened a notch. "I'll start the shower for you. You have two minutes."

Henry growled into his wrists as he rubbed his eyes.

"Listen to your mother." Graham stood in the doorway with his arms folded.

The brunette turned her head giving him a look.

"You're not my parents. I don't need to listen to you." Henry whined, scooting further to the edge of his bed.

"Henry-"

"Just because you found the chick who gave you up doesn't mean she's not your mother, young man!"

"Graham!" Regina, pushed him out of the room, closing the door behind them. "Stop. He's-"

"He's being a brat. You need to punish him."

"He's just waking up! He can be a little snappy - lord knows you are."

"What about him running away?"

Regina folded her arms, shaking her head at him. "I'm not talking about this now."

She tried to walk by him but he grabbed her by the arm. "You don't want to talk about it last night, and not this morning, then when?"

"When _I_ think he's ready-"

"He's a child, Regina - he doesn't make the rules."

She yanked her arm away, nodding. "You're right, he doesn't. _I do._" She glared at him. "_I_ am his mother and I think we have some things to work through before we go changing things in his life more. Adjusting to this woman being here-"

"_Isn't_ as important as you still demonstrating you're his parent. By_ punishing_ him."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I'm making coffee. Don't go back into his room."

Graham sighed, his shoulders slumping as she started down the stares. "Regina, can-"

"Would you start the shower for him, please?"

She didn't wait for an answer as she went the rest of the way to the kitchen, but heard the shower going a moment later. Regina knew he was only trying to help, but his way of helping only seemed to cause more friction. And friction between her and her son didn't need any helping.. it seemed to be doing just fine on it's own.

Her fingers came to rest heavily on the bridge on her nose. Maybe it was the morning. Maybe it was the weight on her shoulders that never seemed to leave? Maybe it was everything and nothing in particular... but Regina wanted to crawl back into bed and rewind to when life seemed like a simple linear path that was just watching Henry grow, when the bumps in the road weren't quite so large.

But bumps there were, and she needed to smooth them out with as much calm and control as possible on her part.

She picked up the phone, clearing her throat as she dialed.

"Hello. Could you patch me through to Grannie's Inn, please?"

* * *

Well... at least the waitress was hot.

Emma couldn't remember the last time she was in a place like this. It seemed so small-town comfort compared to anything she'd come by in a long time. And she wouldn't lie - it was just weird. She wanted someone to yell at someone else for getting too close to their food or a homeless person to be mumbling in the corner so it felt more like she was just one of the nobodies in there... but no one was nobody to anyone in this place. Everyone smiled, because this damn town was too small for anyone to not know another person. Which was probably why she got so many eyes on the way in. And as people walked to their tables.

The chick with slightly gothic looking red streaks in her hair that took her order was polite enough not to make it a topic of small talk as she walked her over to a booth, but it was obvious she was curious.

Which made Emma feel awkward.

Not that that stopped her from admiring the leather-clad ass that strutted behind the counter afterward.

Other than the waitress though, this place was just unpleasant. And by unpleasant she meant _so_ pleasant that it made her teeth hurt. Like too much candy and not enough water.

"Miss Swan."

Emma's head snapped up as Regina sat down, grinning like a child.

"Hey.." She said, brilliantly.

Regina smiled. "How was your first night in Storybrooke?"

"It was fine." She nodded. "It was quiet.. something I'm not used to."

"No?" Regina, looked over to the waitress nodding.

Emma looked over in time to see her roll her eyes before she scampered back into the kitchen.

"What level of volume are you used to in the evening hours?" Her brow furrowed.

It was all she could do not to have her eyes pop out of her head. Did she mean to say she thought she said?

Regina's hand went to cover her mouth. "That's not what I meant."

Emma laughed.

"I wu-wasn't referring to anything... _anything _of your pr-pri-private nature." She shook her head as her face picked up hues of pink and red.

"You sure."

"Yes, I am _quite_ sure."

Regina's eyes remained wide and fixed on something on the table she was desperately trying to scratch off with her thumb nail but couldn't seem to get.

"Hey.." Emma waved a hand.

The brunette finally looked up, ease wearing slowly into her features.

"It's fine, lady." She shrugged. "I've made dirtier jokes intentionally, so don't sweat it." She winked.

After blinking a few times, the mayor nodded shortly. "Well.."

"The kid okay?" Emma offered, changing the subject for her.

Regina took a breath, sweeping hair away from her face. "He's... he's a bit difficult at the moment."

"Yeah?"

"He's at an age..." Her facial expression changed before looking back at the other woman. "My son is very much a typical boy of his age."

Emma shrugged. "I wouldn't know." Her tone was matter of fact - just the way she felt. She didn't want to make this lady think that she was trying to take over in any way. "He seems alright to me. Sure - he's sure as hell brave for getting all the way to the city by himself."

"Yes, we talked about that."

"How much trouble is he in?"

Regina opened her mouth as though she were about to say something, before closing it and giving only a polite smile. "That's not why I asked you here, Miss Swan."

Emma raised an eyebrow and felt some butterflies. "It's not?... I mean you didn't want to talk about the kid."

"Of course I.. I want to speak of _Henry_..." Her shoulders fell. "I want to talk about making a plan of sorts."

"A plan?"

"I would like to set a course of action, with you, so that we're on the same page as to how to handle the situation."

Emma just started to nod when the waitress came back, setting black coffee and toast in front of Regina before placing the cocoa in front of her.

"Thank you, Ruby."

"Uhm.. I asked for cinnamon on top, too..." Emma pointed to the naked whipped cream setting on top of the hot drink.

"Right." She pranced back to the counter, searching behind the bar.

Regina's face twisted in suspicion. "What's that."

"Hot cocoa, with whipped cream.." Emma started.

Ruby sprinkled the cinnamon on top of the beverage, "and cinnamon on top!"

"Thanks.. Ruby?"

"Anytime." And with a wink she was back to hurrying around the diner.

When Emma looked back, the mayor was looking at the cup of cocoa with a strange look.

She tilted her head, trying to get the other woman's attention. "Is this not that good here?" She asked, motioning to her drink.

Regina's eyes snapped up. "No.. No, it's-uhm.." She scratched her nose hesitantly. "Henry orders that almost every time we come here."

"Oh.."

There were a few moments of strange silence, both of them staring at the drink as though it would perform a trick for them if they looked at it for long enough. Emma kept feeling like she should say something, but all that came to mind were crappy compliments. She didn't want to hit on the lady who was raising her kid - that seemed way too awkward... like a fucked up 'Parent Trap' sequel. But she didn't really have anything else...

"You have really nice hair...?"

Nope.

Whatever she was supposed to say there, she knew that wasn't it.

Regina's eyebrows hit the ceiling as her mouth dropped open.

And just as Emma was about to shrink back into her seat and mumble some kind of apology, the brunette burst into laughter, an open grin taking over her face and making her eyes light up.

Emma smiled on instinct alone, both thankful she didn't break some unspoken rule and because she was absolutely mesmerized by the woman in front of her. It was completely different from when she first turned to her the night before after Henry ran into the house. This was like looking the sun in the face without it hurting your eyes - like feeling it on your skin at a day at the beach. Emma felt a little laughter bubble out of her mouth.

"Well.." Regina caught her breath. "..I suppose that's one way to end an uncomfortable silence."

She shrugged. "You're welcome."

The mayor suppressed another smile before clearing her throat. "So, back to the plan."

"Right - plan."

She folded her hands in her lap. "I think we should meet with Henry's therapist, just you and I, after his session on Thursday."

"Thursday?"

Regina nodded. "That's when his appointments are."

"But that's three days from now?"

"...Yes?"

"Oh." Emma nodded and faked a shrug. "Right.. of course. Sure, that sounds fine." Inside she was thinking more _'Damn it damn it damn it... I don't think I trust myself around her for that long...'_

"Were you hoping to leave sooner than that." A different kind of suspicion flashed over her face that when she was looking at the cocoa before.

"Well, ya know, I don't really see myself as being in his life?" She played with her fingernails under the table. "I wasn't supposed to be a mom - or _his_ mom. I don't want to screw him up over being around me any more than I already have."

It almost looked like hurt washed over the brunette's features, but it was gone as soon as Emma could pick up on it. But she nodded. "I see."

Emma rested her elbows on the table. "But, listen.. I'm willing to go along with whatever you have planned." She tried her best not to tumble into the big brown eyes that made her mouth all dry and hands all sweaty. "I mean, you're the parent and I don't want to leave you here with a mess to deal with by yourself."

"I just want to get Dr. Hopper's opinion on what would be best." She gulped, pulling out small cup of jam from the little iron holder in the middle of the table. "But perhaps I should ask if you'd even be interested in continue a... visitational relationship with Henry.." She glanced up for just a moment before getting a knife to apply the jam to her toast. "If it were what was best for him."

Emma let out a long sigh, then took a drink. "Uhm... I guess so? Like a once a month kinda thing?" She nodded, overall unsure. "I mean, if I couldn't make it... then letters? Or phone calls? I just-I.. I don't think he should call me mom or anything, or think of me as his parent, I don't think that's right or that that should ever happen."

"Miss Swan, I-"

"Emma." She shook her head, sitting back in her seat, feeling a shaky sickness creep into her stomach. "Can you call me Emma, I feel like an old lady when you call me _Miss Swan_, it's weird."

"I-I'm sorry... Emma.." She looked back down to her toast. "I would never encourage that. I agree that _I_ am his parent. That's not about to change. All I'm concerned with is that Henry doesn't feel abandoned or less than because you don't want to stay in his life, especially after you've met him." She looked back up, making eye contact and making Emma extremely uncomfortable in the process. "I don't want him to feel like he's not worth loving. Because he is. He is a wonderful boy and I love him very much. It would kill me to see him hurt."

Emma just looked at her for a moment, feeling the weight of responsibility drop on her shoulders almost immediately. It was all she could do to nod.

Regina straightened her back. "Now, I feel obligated to ask about his father as well... if you're willing to talk about him."

"You don't have to worry," Emma shrugged. She was much quieter than before, almost holding herself with the sudden change she knew her life had just taken. "..he doesn't really exist." She shook her head. "It could have been any number of guys. I got pregnant when I was seventeen, and I was a pretty stupid kid. I made a lot of fucked up decisions."

"I'm not here to judge you for your past, I'm only-"

"Trying to figure out where your kid is from... right. I get it." She shook her head. "But where he's from I don't want to go back to." She took another drink and looked out the window to anything. "Look, there's no father on the birth certificate because I didn't know who he was and honestly whatever scum bag knocked me up isn't worth finding anyway."

Regina only nodded, holding her mouth in a disappointed line.

Emma looked back to her. "What?"

"Nothing... I, just.." She let out a small huff of hair. "I was only asking so that I was prepared if Henry tried to find him as well."

"There's no one to find."

"Yes, you've made that clear."

Regina took a bite of her toast and Emma just watched, feeling stupid and lonely, and like she was the last person in the world who should be involved in a kid's life. She felt awful just sitting there, not knowing how to go about talking to someone who was obviously much more of a real adult that she was. And what did she do? Fold her arms and grumble like a little kid - sure, that showed just how adult she was.

So she said something she hadn't said and meant for a long time.

"I'm sorry..."

The brunette shook her head. "Don't be."

"No, I'm here acting like a teenager and I should try to be adult about all this..."

"It's a difficult situation." Regina smiled lightly.

"Yeah." Emma nodded. And in that moment with the woman who should be having a harder time than her trying to give her some variety of comfort by empathizing with her, she grew up just a little bit. "Whatever's best for the kid."

As Regina's smile grew at the edges, softening her eyes.

And between the way the brunette was looking at her, the butterflies, and feeling like she was kind of becoming an adult, Emma wanted to run out of the diner as soon as she could and find the nearest _real_ bar and forget that the last twenty four hours happened. Shit was changing in her mind and hear heart and she knew it, and it scared her like nothing else could.

"Uhm.." Regina blinked, seeming as though she were trying to hide a grin, and started straightening her napkin, her plate - anything to have an excuse to not look at her. "I'm glad we're on the same page."

Emma shrugged. "Yeah, for sure..."

"I should get to work, though.." She pulled a zip-lock bag from her purse to put the toast in.

"Oh my god."

"What?"

Emma laughed. "You're really a mom... prepped with plastic baggies in your purse and everything."

And there it was - that brilliantly bright smile that Emma felt like she was controlled by. Even only seeing it the few times she had, it made her want to stop time and relax into it for a little while, take a little refuge in something genuine.

"I do what I can." Her eyes flashed bashfully up at the blonde, making her cheeks flush pink.

The younger woman bit her lip and took a deep breath.

"Now, I must be off, but... thank you," Regina got up and put her hand out to the blonde. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement." Her voice was softer than that of something that should have been more a matter of business.

In turn, Emma took her hand and shook it slowly, holding her breath as their eyes met again.

What was it about her that made her feel like everything was slower and sweeter with this woman close? It was annoyingly nerve wracking, and one of the most exhilarating feelings Emma could remember.

"Yeah.. of course." She said in a weak voice.

"I'll.. be in touch." Regina started to walk away slowly.

Emma help up one hand and a small smile. "See ya soon."

As the brunette walked out the door, the wind sweeping her hair and her frame bobbing up and down gracefully with each step made Emma want to giggle and puke at the same time.

This was wrong. This was all wrong and she needed to get out of this whole fucked up situation as fast as she could.

She wouldn't fuck things up for other people just because she had a crush on the most inappropriate person possible.

* * *

And there she was - grinning like a fool as she walked down the streets she knew better than the back of her hand. She couldn't even bring herself to remember the discomfort of this morning, and not by choice, but by the honest distraction from the way her head felt lighter than her feet, which seemed to be all but walking on air. There was a distinct flutter of happiness she hadn't felt in the longest time running through her. Everything around her seemed a little brighter, a little stronger than she remembered them being.

Regina tried to let her mind wander, but it kept falling back to the blonde. She couldn't understand her way of thinking - she'd never met anyone like her. There hadn't ever been anyone in town that was anything less than _vividly_ average.

Not Emma. She wasn't sleeping, she was wide awake to her world, and that was something Regina didn't think she'd ever experienced. She had always felt like she was spending moment after moment walking lazily from one chapter of her life to another.

Of course, Henry was the light and the joy that she depended on and was happy to provide for and give her unconditional love, but that love went unrequited for the most part, all but forcing her to dull her senses to the pain of the one person she gave her all to have. She would do anything for that little boy and he wanted nothing to do with her. It was only as ill fitting as it could be that the woman who gave birth to him would be the one to fill her with an excitement that was more foreign to her than the idea of the places she'd only ever read about. And that was both beautifully refreshing and profoundly terrifying.

Somehow even after turning over her breakfast with the blonde, Regina couldn't make the last jump to what she was undeniably feeling.

The reality and absurdity of the notion was too much - so it went unintentionally ignored for the time being.

* * *

**((Forgot to give credit to "There Goes the Fear" by Doves, the song Emma was singing to herself in the last chapter.))**

**Hope this is all going well for you all :)  
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**R&R and let us know what you're thinking!  
(_You are loved -_****_ always!_)**


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